Founded in 1979, the Senior Expert Contact (SEC) provides rapid, hands-on support to small and medium enterprises and institutions in developing countries and Eastern Europe. Highly experienced volunteers impart their expert skills and knowledge to small and medium enterprises (SME) and institutions, which otherwise do not have access to this level of professional, affordable support.
SME and education or training institutes, as well as other organisations in developing countries and Eastern Europe, can request an SEC expert if they require technical expertise to overcome business and structural impediments, but cannot afford this at market prices.
Each year, around 140 SMEs and institutions benefit from expert consultancy assignments.
Today, more than 700 mainly retired technical experts, ranging from craftspersons to hotel managers to marketing specialists, provide their expertise and valuable professional experience.
Since 1979, the SEC has carried out over 3,000 assignments, with experts having provided roughly 1,200,000 hours of voluntary work. This is equal to an estimated 45 million Swiss francs.
SEC assignments result in: